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Lions Club Summer Street Clean Up
The Lions Club will be cleaning up a section of Summer Street this coming Saturday October 23rd starting at 9AM, meeting at 350 Summer Street, the Sewer Department building parking lot. They started this project on Abington Cares for the Earth Clean-up Days in the Spring which is sponsored by SAGE, Saving Abington with Green Energy.
The objective is to clean out the wooded and wetland areas on the side of the road and to recycle all that is recyclable.
One of the most invasive toxins that has been trashed in this area is Tires along with some T.V.s and propane tanks. There are lots of other toxins like paint containers along with whatever else a person might illegally dump into this once very natural area.
The Lions Club along with volunteers want to help nature out by cleaning up many years of neglect.
The question e-awakening is posing is how can these trashed resources be best utilized and recycled? Take tires for instance. They are a valuable material now used in the building of roads and athletic tracks to name a few uses, and I’m sure there are many more.
Right now in Massachusetts tires cost money to get rid of and maybe that is why someone would actually stoop to throwing them in a sensitive ecosystem.
Our mission is to protect nature and properly reuse all materials. What are your thoughts?
Dan Brielmann Abington MA October 16, 2010
Go to e-awakening@gmail.com with your thoughts so we can add your perspective along with Dan’s
Please include your name so we can post.
January 17, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
As a creative independent thinker you’re coming up with many ways to green-up the economy. By now you have realized that environmental friendly jobs can put us to work and save us money at the same time.
What a great idea it is to train people to insulate homes and save on heating costs and valuable energy. Skilled labor installing solar panels on your roofs and wind turbines in your yards creates good paying jobs and my even pay you in the process by selling this energy back to the grid.
Teachers are guiding the children in their classrooms to think proactively so they will be prepared to deal with the warming planet. And, this all leads to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable world.
You have found so many ways to help conserve and protect our resources, ecosystems and bio-diversity. And, the best part is that all your work is catching on.
I just wanted to congratulate you for all you do to make this a better world and to encourage you to keep on doing your good work.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
Gardening Get Together - January 27, 2011
On a cold wintry night as clean-up crews moved the snow around, a group of eighteen people got together to discuss gardening.
E-Awakening’s Dan and Marilyn hosted this event at the Abington Public Library where the staff set up the room and everything was ready for us.
The night before as the storm clouds brewed swirling their winter mix with the first flakes of snow, Bill Davis met with Dan and Marilyn to go over his presentation. He went over some of the tips he was going to share. Bill said, “A tablespoon of epsom salt and a pinch of sulfur made my pepper plants go from an average of 10 peppers to about 30. I tried and tested this by planting every other row with the mixture so I know this works.”
This was just one of the many tips that gardeners from Abington and surrounding towns including a couple from as far away as Lakeville heard about at the Get Together. For an hour Bill shared tips, plans and ideas on how to grow a better garden.
There were a lot of questions and tips from the participants. They also shared some of their tried and true methods with the group.
E-Awakening promotes organic sustainable gardening methods. Dan added from a book he read, “Diet for a Hot Planet” by Anna Lappe, “that some municipal landfills contain huge amounts of organic waste. This could be composted into the soil without the need for synthetic fertilizer or pesticides.”
Marilyn demonstrated a water conservation technique that she and Dan use in their backyard garden. There is a special cone that you fill with sand and it fits on a two liter soda bottle that you cut the bottom off of. The cone is placed into the ground near the plant. The soda bottle is filled with water. Marilyn explained that “This sends the water to the roots, conserves water and cuts down on the weeds.”
When the hour disappeared, it really seemed to fly by, some of the folks suggested that these “Get Togethers” continue at least during the winter months.
As a result of this “Gardening Get Together”, we will be compiling and publishing on our website a list of Bill Davis’ tips. We believe that gardening is a great way to help the environment and it’s good for the spirit too!
Readers, if any of you have an expertise or a passion for helping the environment through conservation, recycling or something else, please share them with e-Awakening and we will help spread the word.
Dan & Marilyn Brielmann Abington MA January 30, 2011
January 22, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
What if our Earth came with an operators manual? Well, scientist Richard Alley * has actually written one and I think it’s quite good.
In my opinion, it’s balanced and fair. Although there are parts I’m not crazy about, it does give a good overall concept of some ways we can deal with rising CO2 levels and Climate Change.
The more we read and learn about other people’s ideas on how to care for the environment the more we can defend and perfect our position on the way we see the most effective solutions.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
* Richard Alley’s book is “Earth: The Operators Manual”
January 29, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
We depend on our environment for our survival. We all need clean air, pure water and healthy soil. We may not always be aware of how dependent we are of this earth, with all the plenty: grocery stores, transportation and modern shelter including all the trappings. But, we are all so dependent on an environment we are getting so far from understanding.
As we drift from and stretch the umbilical cord that connects us to the basics of our survival are we in danger of breaking the very connection that keeps us all alive?
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
February 12, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
The world has become a very small place indeed.
Isolationism, nationalism and sovereignty Is now a recipe for a world depression. We can no longer treat the world’s economy like a local economy.
If you think in the grand narrative you see that business opportunity is in sharing the wealth and growing a world market place. The best of the best from all nations and peoples of the world‘
Americans can export much in the way of raising the world’s standard of living at the same time as we raise our own.
American business say hello to the world, the needy and the underserved. We can serve our own interest best by serving the interests of our fellow human beings.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
*For further study along these lines, “World 3.0” by Pankaj Ghemawat is a good reference.
February 5, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Is Environmentalism dead? In “Break Through From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility” by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger they explore the idea that we are not separate from but are part of nature. It’s a biting criticism of the environmental movement but if you can brave the punches you come away with something valuable.
Instead of sacrifice and the belief that progress is bad, these authors show that with the right attitude towards economic growth we can not only heal the earth and ourselves but we can reap an even better way of life. Environmentalism is not dead. It’s just the way we approach the problems that may need some life support.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
February 19, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Resources are the materials that we rely on every day. How can we protect them?
They come from the earth and they sustain us: minerals, organics, elements. Without them life as we know it could not exist. The quality and enjoyment of our existence depends on these basic materials, gifts from the earth.
Do we appreciate the earth for it’s bounty? Will we resolve to protect this bounty for the future?
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
February 26, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
What if you divided the Worlds Gross Domestic Product by the number of people on the planet?
The World Bank estimates that there are 7 billion people in the world with the Gross Domestic Product approaching
70,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars. When you divide the GDP by the number of people you come up with 10,000 (ten thousand) per person.
Just a little something to think about especially with the knowledge that 2.5 billion of the worlds people live on less than two dollars a day.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
March 4, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Is there nothing we can do about Global Warming?
First we have to believe it is caused by humans.
Then we could drive less and go easy when we do drive because that causes us to use less fuel which saves us money and cuts down on CO2.
Then while we’re not driving around burning fossil fuels we can garden.
Plants sequester carbon that means they take in CO2 and release it through their roots into the soil where it stays out of our atmosphere which is one way to reduce Global Warming.
There is so much we can do one we set our minds to it.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
March 11, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
This past week an experience changed my life.
Like minded friends got together to discuss gardening, some for the love of it and some with global warming in mind.
Slow global warming, plant something is my mantra.
Others like my wife and best friend Marilyn were there believing in the benefits that it could bring others.
My next best friend Bill Davis was their to share his knowledge and enthusiasm.
For me, I hope it’s the seed of global awareness, healing the earth and ourselves. Take us back to the garden maybe something as positive as this can go viral.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
March 18, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
I’m going to stick my neck out here but everything’s going to be alright.
Just like Spring hope is eternal and as nature comes back to life and the song birds sing, hope is alive and well.
Everything’s going to be alright because we’re going to make it that way. When we set our minds to it and work together nothings impossible.
It’s this positive attitude that will sustain us. We can figure out workable solutions and we can change the world for the better.
All those who have gone before us have invested in the today we now enjoy and we will invest in tomorrow’s legacy that we shall hand over to all those who come after us.
Let’s put our heads together, huddle as one team and win this game.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
March 25, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
There has to be a way that we humans can live in harmony with the earth, in concert with all creation.
As we strive along in this evolutionary process, we all have our place in the scheme of things.
Meditation, prayer, whatever vehicle we use, we try to find answers to age old questions.
In todays world these questions are seriously profound. We debate over a warming planet, the loss of species and concern for biodiversity.
One fact that is crystal clear to me is the one of consumption and rapid use of our natural resources.
As I write my symphony of life, I know that for myself personally, I must savor every tiny aspect of this life and our place in nature.
I for one pray that we humans make the right choices and continue our Awakening!
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
April 8, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
If we did everything we could to reduce every scrap of waste; if we reused everything we have until we couldn’t use it anymore; if we then recycled every material possible and started the process all over again, what kind of world would we live in?
In an effort to practice what I preach I have thought and done everything I can to achieve this aim.
It’s quite and adventure and oddly enough .....it’s a lot of fun.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
April 1, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Do you think we need to get this one question into our daily conversations?
What effect are we people having on our environment? And, what are we or should we be doing about it?
This conversation should be honest, with truth as the end result, a vast consensus of ideas that we can all understand and see the validity in.
Once we face what some call a crisis while others say are smoke and mirrors we should be able to come up with a realistic grasp on our present situation.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
April 15, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Right now our economy is like a sprinter who’s on his last legs. He’s running full out to achieve the greatest result, ready to drop from exhaustion.
If we all took a deep breath to see what is really important in life, we might wonder what all the rush is about.
*The dictionary defines economy as the careful and thrifty use of resources. Wouldn’t this require a calm and reflective approach to how we conduct our business?
My question to you is this. Is it possible to build our economy on the protection and preservation of our resources?
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
April 22, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
This week, I thought Dear Friends of the Environment should start with the words to a song of mine “The Mountain Song”.
Up in the Mountains high above the sea everything’s natural and I feel free.
The Mountain Song what could go wrong?
There’s Mother Nature she’s looking at me, telling everybody we got to let it be.
The Mountain Song
What could go wrong
It’s not too late
To set it straight
But we can’t wait ............
Well that’s it ........ if you want to hear part of how it sounds .......... Watch Packer and Dan’s Mountain Adventure.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
April 29, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
When will we take the first step towards a universal code of resource management?
Yesterday as I tossed a tray full of waste into a stuffed trash can, I tried to imagine the magnitude of materials we throw out each and every day.
Disposable cups, plates, plasticware, bags, you name it. 2012 and no recycling bin in sight. This at one of the worlds most popular fast food restaurants.
A journey is just a series of steps, one after the other.
We all know what needs to be done to protect the world’s resources. Let’s take this journey right now. Start the conversation and do what we must to stop the waste!
A real serious program towards resource management is not olnly possible, it is necessary.
All we have to do is take that first step.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
May 6, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
We hear so much about the right and the left factions on opposite ends of an issue.
What happened to the center? Those who see both sides and think that if they came together you would find true peace and balance.
Negotiating a truce between extremes may be one way to attain World Peace.
Once that peace is established then we can iron out our differences with true listening and understand all sides and perspectives.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan
May 13, 2012
Dear Friends of the Environment,
Little do we think about how much of an affect we have on each other. But this powerful effect could mean a world of difference.
I for one have a partner and friend who has made a huge difference in my life for the better, much better.
My wife, Marilyn, is the other half of e-Awakening and without her constant effort and encouragement there would be no e-Awakening.com
As we go about life, picking and choosing who to make a friend. I have only one bit of advice.
Look for a positive, loving and selfless person but remember this only works if you yourself are willing to make the same sacrifices.
I did and no person could have a better partner, advisor and companion than I.
Thanks for Caring,
Dan